Supreme Court Opens Its Term With Boulder's Climate Suit Against Oil Companies

The Supreme Court began its 2026-27 term on Monday, October 5, with arguments in Suncor Energy v. Commissioners of Boulder County, in which Boulder County and the city of Boulder, Colorado, are suing Suncor and ExxonMobil under state law over the local costs of climate change, SCOTUSblog and NPR report. The question is whether federal law bars state-law claims seeking relief for injuries said to be caused by worldwide greenhouse-gas emissions, and whether the court can hear the case at this stage.

Boulder argues the companies knew their products would cause harm and misled the public for decades, increasing the risks of wildfire, flooding and extreme heat. The companies argue that emissions from around the world are a matter for federal law and that the many similar suits in state courts should be stopped. The ruling, expected by the end of June, could affect similar suits by other states and cities.

Also on Monday, the court heard a case on whether federal district courts can hear constitutional challenges to a law limiting disability benefits for some incarcerated veterans. Over the October session, which runs through October 14, the justices hear seven cases, including Genalo v. Black, on whether a noncitizen detained for a long time has a constitutional right to a bond hearing. Later this fall the court will hear challenges to state bans on assault rifles, a voter proof-of-citizenship dispute from Arizona and religious-liberty cases.